Bob Keeshan
Encyclopedia
Robert James "Bob" Keeshan (June 27, 1927 – January 23, 2004) was an American television producer
and actor
. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo
, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.
Keeshan also played the original "Clarabell the Clown" on the Howdy Doody
television program
.
. In 1945, during World War II
, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
Reserve, but was still in the United States when Japan
surrendered. He attended Fordham University
on the GI Bill. An urban legend
claims that actor Lee Marvin
said on The Tonight Show
that he had fought alongside Keeshan at the Battle of Iwo Jima
in February–March, 1945. However, Marvin not only never said this, but had not served on Iwo Jima
(having been hospitalized from June 1944 until October 1945, from wounds received in the Battle of Saipan
), and Keeshan himself never saw combat, having enlisted too late to serve overseas.
s began shortly after the end of the war. Howdy Doody
, an early show which premiered in 1947 on NBC
, was one of the first. Debuting on January 3, 1948, Keeshan played "Clarabell the Clown
", a silent Auguste clown who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist. One horn meant "yes"; another meant "no". Clarabell often sprayed Buffalo Bob Smith
with a seltzer
bottle and played practical jokes. Keeshan gave up the role in 1952, and was replaced.
By September 21, 1953, Keeshan was back on the air on WABC-TV
(New York City
), in a new children’s show, Time for Fun. He played Corny the Clown, and this time he spoke. Later that same year, in addition to Time for Fun, Keeshan began Tinker's Workshop, a program aimed at preschoolers, with him playing the grandfather-like Tinker.(Info on Mr.Keeshan's involvement with"Time For Fun"and "Tinker's Workshop"
can be found in "The NYC Kids Shows Round Up"section of"The TV Party"website at www.tvparty.com)
Developing ideas from Tinker's Workshop, Keeshan and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo
to the CBS
network, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. Keeshan described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children." The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades.
Recurring characters included his sidekick (and fan favorite) Mr. Green Jeans (played by Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum
) and puppets such as "Bunny Rabbit" and "Mr. Moose
".
The New York Times commented: "Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant, mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm ... was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced."
Keeshan also had a Saturday morning show called Mister Mayor during the 1964–65 season. Keeshan, in his role as the central character in both Captain Kangaroo and Mister Mayor, heavily promoted the products of the Schwinn Bicycle Co., a sponsor, directly on-air to his audience. By 1972, Keeshan had introduced another character on Captain Kangaroo to recommend Schwinn products, Mr. Schwinn Dealer, due to the Federal Trade Commission
ruling against children's show hosts directly endorsing their sponsor's products during their programs after 1969.
on July 13, 1981, which pushed the start of a revamped version of his show back to at least mid-August. Keeshan suffered the heart attack just moments after stepping off a plane at Toronto International Airport. He had come to the city to accept a children's service award.
Keeshan underwent triple-bypass surgery
and received an estimated 5,000 get-well wishes from fans.
Following the heart attack, Keeshan received three Emmy awards for Outstanding Performer in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Despite these accolades, Keeshan's show was shortened from its hour-long format to a half hour in 1981, to make room for the expansion of the CBS Morning News lineup. The program was retitled Wake Up with the Captain, and was moved to a new 7 AM time slot. At the start of 1982, the show was rescheduled to an even earlier slot of 6:30 AM. In the fall of 1982, CBS installed it as a weekend-only hour offering, and two years later, in the fall of 1984, the show became a Saturday half-hour entry.
Tired of CBS's constant reductions of his show, Keeshan left Captain Kangaroo when his contract with the network ended in December 1984, just nine months shy of the show's 30th anniversary. By 1987, repeats of the show were airing daily on many PBS stations.
Keeshan's show was given a farewell of sorts with Captain Kangaroo and Friends, a prime-time network TV special that aired in 1985.
, which featured animated versions of children's literature. Keeshan appeared in framing sequences for the animated stories, showcasing the book versions and suggesting similar books for the viewers to seek out. In 1987, Keeshan founded Corporate Family Solutions
with former Tennessee
Republican Governor Lamar Alexander
. The company provided day-care programs to businesses.
Keeshan lived on Melbury Road in Babylon Village, Long Island
, New York
before moving to spend the last 14 years of his life in Vermont
, where he became a children's advocate as well as an author. His memoirs, entitled Good Morning, Captain, were published in 1995 by Fairview Press
. He was a strong advocate against video game violence and took part in congressional hearings in 1993. In addition, he joined with parents groups in the 1980s who protested children's TV shows based on then present toys on the market, like He-Man
and Transformers
; he felt that toys turned into TV shows did not teach children anything about the real world. He also made a rare film appearance in The Stupids
in 1996.
Keeshan was an adopted member of the Dartmouth College
Class of 1942, receiving an honorary doctorate from the College in 1975. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of New Rochelle in 1985, after having served for several years on its board of trustees.
Keeshan died in Windsor, Vermont
, on January 23, 2004, at the age of 76. He was survived by three children. His wife of 40 years, Anne Jeanne Laurie Keeshan, had died in 1990. Keeshan's grandson, Britton Keeshan
, became the youngest person at that time to have climbed the Seven Summits
by climbing Mount Everest
in May 2004. He carried photographs of his grandfather on that ascent, and buried a photo of the two of them at the summit.
Keeshan was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery in Babylon, New York.
in Tulsa, OK.
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is most notable as the title character of the children's television program Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, which became an icon for millions of people during its 30-year run from 1955 to 1984.
Keeshan also played the original "Clarabell the Clown" on the Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
.
Youth, education, military
Keeshan was born in Lynbrook, New YorkLynbrook, New York
Lynbrook is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 19,427 at the 2010 census. The Village of Lynbrook is inside the Town of Hempstead. The Village of Lynbrook's current mayor is William Hendrick....
. In 1945, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
Reserve, but was still in the United States when Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
surrendered. He attended Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
on the GI Bill. An urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
claims that actor Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
said on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
that he had fought alongside Keeshan at the Battle of Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
in February–March, 1945. However, Marvin not only never said this, but had not served on Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
(having been hospitalized from June 1944 until October 1945, from wounds received in the Battle of Saipan
Battle of Saipan
The Battle of Saipan was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands from 15 June-9 July 1944. The Allied invasion fleet embarking the expeditionary forces left Pearl Harbor on 5 June 1944, the day before Operation Overlord in Europe was...
), and Keeshan himself never saw combat, having enlisted too late to serve overseas.
Pioneering children's television
Network television programTelevision program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s began shortly after the end of the war. Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody
Howdy Doody is an American children's television program that was created and produced by E. Roger Muir and telecast on NBC in the United States from 1947 until 1960. It was a pioneer in children's television programming and set the pattern for many similar shows...
, an early show which premiered in 1947 on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, was one of the first. Debuting on January 3, 1948, Keeshan played "Clarabell the Clown
Clarabell the Clown
Clarabell the Clown was the mute partner of Howdy Doody.Three actors played Clarabell. The first was Bob Keeshan, who later became Captain Kangaroo. Keeshan was succeeded by Robert "Nick" Nicholson, who also played the character of J. Cornelius Cobb on The Howdy Doody Show. Lew Anderson was the...
", a silent Auguste clown who communicated by honking several horns attached to a belt around his waist. One horn meant "yes"; another meant "no". Clarabell often sprayed Buffalo Bob Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith
Buffalo Bob Smith was the host of the children's show Howdy Doody.-Biography:...
with a seltzer
Seltzer
Seltzer may refer to:* Seltzer water , carbonated water** Seltzer bottle* Seltzer, Pennsylvania, census-designated place in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United StatesPeople...
bottle and played practical jokes. Keeshan gave up the role in 1952, and was replaced.
By September 21, 1953, Keeshan was back on the air on WABC-TV
WABC-TV
WABC-TV, channel 7, is the flagship station of the Disney-owned American Broadcasting Company located in New York City. The station's studios and offices are located on the Upper West Side section of Manhattan, adjacent to ABC's corporate headquarters, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State...
(New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), in a new children’s show, Time for Fun. He played Corny the Clown, and this time he spoke. Later that same year, in addition to Time for Fun, Keeshan began Tinker's Workshop, a program aimed at preschoolers, with him playing the grandfather-like Tinker.(Info on Mr.Keeshan's involvement with"Time For Fun"and "Tinker's Workshop"
can be found in "The NYC Kids Shows Round Up"section of"The TV Party"website at www.tvparty.com)
Developing ideas from Tinker's Workshop, Keeshan and his long-time friend Jack Miller submitted the concept of Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
to the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network, which was looking for innovative approaches to children's television programming. CBS approved the show, and Keeshan starred as the title character when it premiered on CBS on October 3, 1955. Keeshan described his character as based on "the warm relationship between grandparents and children." The show was an immediate success, and he served as its host for nearly three decades.
Recurring characters included his sidekick (and fan favorite) Mr. Green Jeans (played by Hugh "Lumpy" Brannum
Hugh Brannum
Hugh Brannum was an American vocalist, arranger, composer and actor best known for his role as "Mr. Green Jeans" on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo. During his days with Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, he used his childhood nickname "Lumpy."-Early life:Brannum was born in...
) and puppets such as "Bunny Rabbit" and "Mr. Moose
Mr. Moose
Mr. Moose was a puppet character on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo.He would tell riddles and knock-knock jokes that would result in hundreds of ping pong balls falling from above, and hitting the Captain on the head. Mr. Moose was created and played by Cosmo Allegretti, who also...
".
The New York Times commented: "Captain Kangaroo, a round-faced, pleasant, mustachioed man possessed of an unshakable calm ... was one of the most enduring characters television ever produced."
Keeshan also had a Saturday morning show called Mister Mayor during the 1964–65 season. Keeshan, in his role as the central character in both Captain Kangaroo and Mister Mayor, heavily promoted the products of the Schwinn Bicycle Co., a sponsor, directly on-air to his audience. By 1972, Keeshan had introduced another character on Captain Kangaroo to recommend Schwinn products, Mr. Schwinn Dealer, due to the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
ruling against children's show hosts directly endorsing their sponsor's products during their programs after 1969.
Heart Attack and Cancellation
Keeshan suffered a severe heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on July 13, 1981, which pushed the start of a revamped version of his show back to at least mid-August. Keeshan suffered the heart attack just moments after stepping off a plane at Toronto International Airport. He had come to the city to accept a children's service award.
Keeshan underwent triple-bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
and received an estimated 5,000 get-well wishes from fans.
Following the heart attack, Keeshan received three Emmy awards for Outstanding Performer in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Despite these accolades, Keeshan's show was shortened from its hour-long format to a half hour in 1981, to make room for the expansion of the CBS Morning News lineup. The program was retitled Wake Up with the Captain, and was moved to a new 7 AM time slot. At the start of 1982, the show was rescheduled to an even earlier slot of 6:30 AM. In the fall of 1982, CBS installed it as a weekend-only hour offering, and two years later, in the fall of 1984, the show became a Saturday half-hour entry.
Tired of CBS's constant reductions of his show, Keeshan left Captain Kangaroo when his contract with the network ended in December 1984, just nine months shy of the show's 30th anniversary. By 1987, repeats of the show were airing daily on many PBS stations.
Keeshan's show was given a farewell of sorts with Captain Kangaroo and Friends, a prime-time network TV special that aired in 1985.
After Captain Kangaroo
After Captain Kangaroo ended, Keeshan hosted 1985's CBS StorybreakCBS Storybreak
CBS Storybreak is a Saturday morning anthology television series that originally aired on the CBS network during the 1985 season. Hosted by Captain Kangaroo's Bob Keeshan , the episodes are half-hour animated adaptations of some of the most beloved children's books published at the time of airing,...
, which featured animated versions of children's literature. Keeshan appeared in framing sequences for the animated stories, showcasing the book versions and suggesting similar books for the viewers to seek out. In 1987, Keeshan founded Corporate Family Solutions
Corporate Family Solutions
Bright Horizons Family Solutions is a United States-based child-care provider and is the largest provider of employer-sponsored child care. It is headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts....
with former Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
Republican Governor Lamar Alexander
Lamar Alexander
Andrew Lamar Alexander is the senior United States Senator from Tennessee and Conference Chair of the Republican Party. He was previously the 45th Governor of Tennessee from 1979 to 1987, United States Secretary of Education from 1991 to 1993 under President George H. W...
. The company provided day-care programs to businesses.
Keeshan lived on Melbury Road in Babylon Village, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
before moving to spend the last 14 years of his life in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, where he became a children's advocate as well as an author. His memoirs, entitled Good Morning, Captain, were published in 1995 by Fairview Press
Fairview Press
Fairview Press is the publishing arm of Fairview Health Services, a regional healthcare provider affiliated with the University of Minnesota. Fairview Press publishes books and other forms of patient education materials on topics such as aging and eldercare, grief and bereavement, and health and...
. He was a strong advocate against video game violence and took part in congressional hearings in 1993. In addition, he joined with parents groups in the 1980s who protested children's TV shows based on then present toys on the market, like He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
and Transformers
Transformers
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
; he felt that toys turned into TV shows did not teach children anything about the real world. He also made a rare film appearance in The Stupids
The Stupids (film)
The Stupids is a 1996 American comedy/adventure film directed by John Landis. The film is based on The Stupids, characters from a series of books written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall....
in 1996.
Keeshan was an adopted member of the Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
Class of 1942, receiving an honorary doctorate from the College in 1975. He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the College of New Rochelle in 1985, after having served for several years on its board of trustees.
Keeshan died in Windsor, Vermont
Windsor, Vermont
Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and...
, on January 23, 2004, at the age of 76. He was survived by three children. His wife of 40 years, Anne Jeanne Laurie Keeshan, had died in 1990. Keeshan's grandson, Britton Keeshan
Britton Keeshan
Britton Keeshan MD, MPH , is one of the youngest persons to climb the tallest mountains on all seven continents in a feat known as the Seven Summits. He accomplished this feat on May 24, 2004, when he successfully summited Mount Everest at the age of 22 years and 179 days old...
, became the youngest person at that time to have climbed the Seven Summits
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven continents. Summiting all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first postulated as such and achieved on April 30, 1985 by Richard Bass .-Definition:...
by climbing Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
in May 2004. He carried photographs of his grandfather on that ascent, and buried a photo of the two of them at the summit.
Keeshan was buried in Saint Joseph's Cemetery in Babylon, New York.
Awards
Keeshan received many awards, including:- Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Alfred University, 1969
- Five Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s (1978, 1981–1984) - Three Peabody AwardPeabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
s (1958, 1972, 1979) - National Education Award, 1982
- Kennedy Center HonorsKennedy Center HonorsThe Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. The Honors have been presented annually since 1978 in Washington, D.C., during gala weekend-long events which culminate in a performance for—and...
, 1987 - Induction into the clown hall of fame, 1990
- American Medical AssociationAmerican Medical AssociationThe American Medical Association , founded in 1847 and incorporated in 1897, is the largest association of medical doctors and medical students in the United States.-Scope and operations:...
Distinguished Service Award, 1991 - Induction into the National Association of BroadcastersNational Association of BroadcastersThe National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
Hall of Fame, 1998
Gallery
Bob Keeshan speaking for United Way at BOK TowerBOK Tower
BOK Tower, formerly One Williams Center, is a skyscraper in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma. At 203 m in height, the 52-story tower was the tallest building in any of the five "Plains States": Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota, as well as the surrounding states of Missouri,...
in Tulsa, OK.